BA/BSc (Hons) Audio Production

Overview

Next Start Date: September 2019

Registrations are open. Limited spots available!

Whether you want to work in music production, post production for film or TV, live sound, radio broadcasting, sound design, game sound or in one of the many different areas of the audio industry, the Audio Production degree gives you the knowledge and practical skills needed for a successful career.

SAE's hands-on ethos ensures you are given access to our world-class studio facilities, supported by one-to-one supervision. This enables you to bring theory and practice together with your creativity in a variety of settings to advance your skills to a professional level, developing a competitive edge as you complete your studies.

Constant advances in commercial technology drive this area forward, creating a need for skilled producers who can understand these technical needs and be able to apply them for commercial gain.

The Degree Program has a duration of 2 years (full-time). After successful completion of the course, you will receive a BA/BSc (Hons) Degree of 180 ECTS credits awarded by Middlesex University in London.

Your Instructors

Bruce Gibb

Head of Audio Department and a long track record as the main lecturer at SAE Institute. Bruce Gibb has 20 years of experience in teaching audio to students. Having completed SAE in 1995 he worked as a freelance live sound engineer for several years before starting to teach at SAE. He still combines his love of live sound with post-production work as well as teaching the next generation of professional audio engineers.

Hens Zimmerman

Hens Zimmerman (1967) studied sound at the Dutch film school and at SAE Amsterdam. He is now a much sought-after post-production mixer and sound designer for television and internet programs. Besides his duties as a freelance teacher at SAE, he also produces music and creates software.

Pietro Rossi

Born in Italy in 1985, he graduated with Honours in Musicology at the University of Rome. Owner of RedStone Productions, Recording Engineer, Mixer and Educator at SAE Amsterdam, he opened up his production company in 2010. As a Producer of the Lennonbus, the most advanced mobile recording studio in the world, he travelled the world in pursuit of what makes music great, resulting in over 100 releases in just over 18 months, including songs with: Yoko Ono Lennon, Joseph Arthur, Earl Slick, Michael Schultz, Adel Tawil, Gaby Moreno, Abby, Luis Laserpower, Art Alexis and many more.

Dave Clarke

Dave Clarke is a DJ with an anarchist streak a mile wide and punk in his soul. Technologically, he’s an early adopter with the studio to prove it, but he also embraces sounds outside the staunch electronic dance remit, from Nick Cave to Savages to old favorites Bauhaus. Such music informs his attitude as, using Serato on a 13” MacBook Pro Retina for his ruthlessly effective, fat-free club sets, he pushes the worldwide boundaries of what techno and electro can be. After a break, recent years have seen him make his presence as a producer felt again, working with Dutch partner Mr. Jones (Jonas Uittenbosch) as _Unsubscribe_ and dropping remixes ranging from John Foxx’s seminal synth-pop gem ‘Underpass’ to Gesaffelstein, Detroit Grand Pubas, and Octave One. Not a week passes when he doesn’t live up to his nickname, the Baron of Techno, a moniker given him by the late, great BBC Radio DJ John Peel.

Jeffrey De Gans

Jeffrey was born in 1971 and was obsessed with music, sound, and technique from the day he was born. At the age of 10, he started messing with tape decks, mixers, and turntables while playing his sisters disco records. Later he had his own (illegal) radio-station, worked for a drive-in-show, worked for several radio-stations, produced and released over 70 vinyl-records and played worldwide (and still does every now and then) on a zillion parties as a DJ. One of his passions is making espresso; always fine-tuning the machines to make the perfect espresso. This is something that can be found back in his mastering skills; always looking for the best and even push it just a bit more. Da Goose Music was founded as a music production company in 1996. Jeffrey’s first real mastering-job dates back to the end of the nineties and in 2015 Jeffrey was nominated as one of the 4 best mastering-engineers from the Netherlands. Needless to say that he has a lot of experience, a great set of ears and serious knowledge of what he is doing. Jeffrey has also done the mastering on Lil' Kleine album that won the Worldwide Act Award at the MTV EMA 2017.

Interview with Jacob Hellner (Rammstein Producer)

The full-time course consists of 4 lessons per week and the total duration of the course is 24 months. Each lesson has a duration of 2,5 hours.

In addition to theory, students are to complete a series of practical exercises and assignments as per the course curriculum. Students get unlimited access to industry-standard facilities and equipment to complete the practical assignments. The school facilities are open 7 days per week: Mondays to Thursdays from 08:00h to 24:00h and Fridays to Sundays from 08:00h to 22:00h. A supervisor is available for advice and technical support at all times.

You will be introduced to the concept of sound as a physical phenomenon and shown how to protect its behavior by exploring maths and physics concepts, which will support your learning throughout the rest of the course. You will then focus on the fundamental principles of audio production, including the theory and practical application of EQs, dynamics processors and effects. This critical foundation will enable you to grasp the concepts of signal routing, microphones, and loudspeakers, providing you with the basic skills to operate in a professional audio environment.

Signal Flow and Processing

This module is designed to help you build the theoretical knowledge necessary to operate in a modern studio environment. You will develop the hands-on skills to operate in a modern studio environment. You will develop the hands-on skills to operate professional audio equipment, enabling you to complete your first productions on both analog and digital setups. Furthermore, you will advance your knowledge of music production techniques to a more sophisticated level.

Introduction to Academic and Professional Practice

In this module, we introduce you to proven concepts and routines of academic research, critique, and writing, and nurture these skills to ensure that you apply good study practice and management throughout your studies. We aim to familiarise you with the theories of culture and communication and develop a basic understanding of the creative media practitioner. Together, all of these skills will help you develop transferable career skills to aid your job search upon graduation.

Audio Production

This module takes your knowledge to the next level as we prepare you for studio work in the industry. You will develop professional practice in the planning and execution of a recording and mixing project, quickly becoming familiar with working in front of a recording console and using outboard gear and software plugins.

Multimedia Sound

The aim of this module is to provide you with a wide range of professional tools and techniques utilized in the production of audio for multimedia applications. It focuses primarily on audio preparation for different media, including visuals and interactive environments. This module aims to enable you to explore your own interests and develop an individual design aesthetic within audio, whilst also providing an overview of possible career paths within the field.

Advanced Audio Production

To advance your understanding of audio production concepts and techniques, we present you with a critical overview of current advanced music production skills. Exposing you to sophisticated audio signal chains and complex signal-flow scenarios we then guide you through a range of opportunities to practice your audio production skills.

Marketing, Business Planning, and Law

This module aims to impart the essential knowledge, concepts, and analytical tools of business and marketing to function effectively in the industry. It will also open your eyes to key legal and ethical issues that underpin practices specifically related to the creative media industries. Upon completion of this module, you will have developed key communication skills, whilst being sensitive to the impact of how communication can shape how we, as a society, understand each other in social, cultural and economic contexts.

Research Practice and Society

Research is key to the successful outcome of any creative project and this module aims to develop within you an advanced critical understanding of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies and their application for both artistic and scientific research. You will advance your knowledge, planning, and implementation of research-based inquiry to address specific questions, whilst developing an in-depth understanding of the creative media industries and your potential role as a creative media practitioner. Together we will broaden your understanding of the ongoing interplay between science and the history of ideas, culture and creative media, to give your work the depth it requires to have a profound effect in the market-place.

Major Project (BA or BSc)

Your major project is intended to demonstrate a range of advanced skills in accordance with the requirements of a substantial level six project. Through successful completion, you will also exhibit your capacity to conduct independent projects and manage a large-scale venture. Central to the module is an exploration of research methodologies and their applications or their own artistic style and its presentation to the public. You will develop a project proposal and submit this for approval. You will then manage all aspects involved in the preliminary and planning phases, through to realization. Your major project is self-generated and may take one of many forms, there is, however, an expectation that the final deliverable will be of a caliber that will progress you into employment or postgraduate work.

Introduction to Academic and Professional Practice

In this module, we introduce you to proven concepts and routines of academic research, critique, and writing, and nurture these skills to ensure that you apply good study practice and management throughout your studies. We aim to familiarise you with the theories of culture and communication and develop a basic understanding of the creative media practitioner. Together, all of these skills will help you develop transferable career skills to aid your job search upon graduation.

Audio Production

This module takes your knowledge to the next level as we prepare you for studio work in the industry. You will develop professional practice in the planning and execution of a recording and mixing project, quickly becoming familiar with working in front of a recording console and using outboard gear and software plugins.

Multimedia Sound

The aim of this module is to provide you with a wide range of professional tools and techniques utilized in the production of audio for multimedia applications. It focuses primarily on audio preparation for different media, including visuals and interactive environments. This module aims to enable you to explore your own interests and develop an individual design aesthetic within audio, whilst also providing an overview of possible career paths within the field.

Elective Module

You are given the opportunity to choose an elective from a bank of modules. Each campus can advise which of the electives may be available to you and provide further advice to assist you in selecting an option that is reflective of your specialization interest. The detail of each module can be found on our website

Advanced Audio Production

To advance your understanding of audio production concepts and techniques, we present you with a critical overview of current advanced music production skills. Exposing you to sophisticated audio signal chains and complex signal-flow scenarios we then guide you through a range of opportunities to practice your audio production skills.

Marketing, Business Planning, and Law

This module aims to impart the essential knowledge, concepts, and analytical tools of business and marketing to function effectively in the industry. It will also open your eyes to key legal and ethical issues that underpin practices specifically related to the creative media industries. Upon completion of this module, you will have developed key communication skills, whilst being sensitive to the impact of how communication can shape how we, as a society, understand each other in social, cultural and economic contexts.

Research Practice and Society

Research is key to the successful outcome of any creative project and this module aims to develop within you an advanced critical understanding of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies and their application for both artistic and scientific research. You will advance your knowledge, planning, and implementation of research-based inquiry to address specific questions, whilst developing an in-depth understanding of the creative media industries and your potential role as a creative media practitioner. Together we will broaden your understanding of the ongoing interplay between science and the history of ideas, culture and creative media, to give your work the depth it requires to have a profound effect in the market-place.

Major Project (BA or BSc)

Your major project is intended to demonstrate a range of advanced skills in accordance with the requirements of a substantial level six project. Through successful completion, you will also exhibit your capacity to conduct independent projects and manage a large-scale venture. Central to the module is an exploration of research methodologies and their applications or their own artistic style and its presentation to the public. You will develop a project proposal and submit this for approval. You will then manage all aspects involved in the preliminary and planning phases, through to realization. Your major project is self-generated and may take one of many forms, there is, however, an expectation that the final deliverable will be of a caliber that will progress you into employment or postgraduate work.

* Our courses require that our students are in possession of a laptop (Mac/PC) in order to make notes in class, complete written homework and/or do research. For questions regarding specifications please consult the Study Advisors.

This programme was developed and is delivered and assessed by SAE Institute, awarded by and quality assured by Middlesex University. Students will receive a Middlesex award on successful completion of their studies. Following successful completion of the first 3 academic terms, students may be eligible to obtain an RPL (recognition of prior learning) of 180 University Credits and enrol in a programme (3 academic terms) validated by Middlesex University to study towards a BA/BSc Honours degree. SAE Institute reserves the right to make revisions and changes to the information presented in line with continuous improvement actions, and stakeholder feedback.